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Veteran
Posts: 289
 
Location: Northeast SD | We recently had our colt tie up while moving cattle. Took him to the vet had IV's and anything else they thought he needed to make him comfortable. Was wondering what people do with horses that tend to tie up to prevent it? He was on a mix of SafeChoice and homegorwn oats but is now being switched to just SafeChoice. He is on a round bales of our own praire hay that we feed all our other horse. Anyone have any advice? |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
  
Location: Riding Crackhead. | Oats is really high in starch, like around 45% starch from what I've found. I switched my gelding to Safechoice Sr which is around 14%. They also have Safechoice Special Care which is 11%. I went the Safechoice route because I can get it easily in my area and it seems to be working really well on my gelding. |
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Veteran
Posts: 289
Location: Northeast SD | Bump! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | more electrolytes. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
| Agree I would make sure he is getting enough elecrtolytes. I would also check potassium, magnesium, and selenium levels in his feed program. A good electrolyte should have potassium in it. ETA: if he is getting less than the min amount recommended of safe choice daily I would add a good vit/min supplement. My horse that tied up couldn't have anything with molasses in it, there are lower starch feeds than safe choice also, Triple Crown LITE was what I fed her.
Edited by Rope-N-Run 2014-05-19 1:13 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: Wyoming | http://www.cvm.umn.edu/umec/lab/PSSM/home.html |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| 1. Check for PSSM.
1.5. If said horse has PSSM, there's TONS of good info out there, plus vets can be very helpful. If not, cool!, you're in the clear, proceed to #2.
2. Horses don't have to have PSSM to tie up. Sometimes it's just a fitness thing and based on their personal propensity to tie up (body chemistry=too much for my brain). Anyway, so it's just the way it is. Back off of him and build him up slower, and remember that even 10 minutes on a longe line at a trot will probably fix the problem.
3. Get away from Safechoice. Period. The NSC level is too high for horses that might tie up. There's some great options out there, with low NSC, that you actually feed less of because it's a great feed, so you end up spending the same money on the average. I went to Ultium, I love, love, love it! |
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Veteran
Posts: 210
| Try Buckeye Grown N Win and Ultimate Finish 25. These are the two supplements that we have our mare on that tied up on us 3 times with in two months. After trying a million different feeds. This feed proved to us that it truely worked! You only need to feed a coffee cup of each and your good to go for the day. Its amazing stuff! I have never seen my horses look so good and perform so well! Its a great feed!! |
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 That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| Shot of Vit E/ Selenium once a month during the summer. |
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | classicpotatochip - 2014-05-19 1:35 PM 1. Check for PSSM. 1.5. If said horse has PSSM, there's TONS of good info out there, plus vets can be very helpful. If not, cool!, you're in the clear, proceed to #2. 2. Horses don't have to have PSSM to tie up. Sometimes it's just a fitness thing and based on their personal propensity to tie up (body chemistry=too much for my brain). Anyway, so it's just the way it is. Back off of him and build him up slower, and remember that even 10 minutes on a longe line at a trot will probably fix the problem. 3. Get away from Safechoice. Period. The NSC level is too high for horses that might tie up. There's some great options out there, with low NSC, that you actually feed less of because it's a great feed, so you end up spending the same money on the average. I went to Ultium, I love, love, love it!
From what I've found Purina Ultium has 15 - 18% starch where the Nutrena Safechoice SR & Special Care are 14% & 11% so no I don't agree with getting away from Safechoice and switching to Ultium. |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
| On days you don't ride cut his grain/pellets/whatever in half. I had a race mare who would tie up the first day I exercised her after a race. I would walk her the day after a race, but fed her the same amount. When i cut her grain down on non work days she stopped tying up. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | On days off have plenty of room to move.add vitamin E daily to his feed.keep a salt lick available at all times.Always COOL out after use. This removes acid out of the muscles that link to tie up.
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| CYA Ranch - 2014-05-19 2:10 PM
classicpotatochip - 2014-05-19 1:35 PM 1. Check for PSSM. 1.5. If said horse has PSSM, there's TONS of good info out there, plus vets can be very helpful. If not, cool!, you're in the clear, proceed to #2. 2. Horses don't have to have PSSM to tie up. Sometimes it's just a fitness thing and based on their personal propensity to tie up (body chemistry=too much for my brain). Anyway, so it's just the way it is. Back off of him and build him up slower, and remember that even 10 minutes on a longe line at a trot will probably fix the problem. 3. Get away from Safechoice. Period. The NSC level is too high for horses that might tie up. There's some great options out there, with low NSC, that you actually feed less of because it's a great feed, so you end up spending the same money on the average. I went to Ultium, I love, love, love it!
From what I've found Purina Ultium has 15 - 18% starch where the Nutrena Safechoice SR & Special Care are 14% & 11% so no I don't agree with getting away from Safechoice and switching to Ultium.
She didn't say she was using either of those. She simply stated Safechoice, which does have a high NSC. I said there's some good options out there--which there are. I don't like the Safechoice Original, I personally go with a fixed formula, I like it a lot. There's a ton of debate about Safechoice on the internet. What doesn't seem to be a debate is that high NSC percentages are bad for horses with PSSM or prone to tying up. If Safechoice turns you on, they do have some lower NSC formulas that seem to work for some people, and you can keep your brand name. I hope the OP finds an answer for her colt, sounds like he was pretty miserable. |
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 Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
| Lower the NSC level (oats are HIGH and *some* grass hay can be very high as well depending on when it's cut) and supplement with vitamin E and Selenium. |
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Veteran
Posts: 289
Location: Northeast SD | Thanks everyone! He had all his bloodwork done that day and they said it was normal! He is in a large pen and it happened while they were moving the cattle. Will be looking into the Selenium/Vitamin E shots so we don't have to go thru this again!  |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| Electrolytes
FINISH LINE JC X-tie (I keep some on hand at all times) Use as directed.
My vet told me not to use the Selenum and Vitamin E in the feed so i stopped that. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | I have a mare who I was told could possibly have PSSM, never had the test done...but she honestly doesn't exhibit the symptoms of "tying up"
But as a precaution, I do feed her safechoice perform...and stay away from alot of sugary, and starchy grains. Safechoice Perform has been my go too, I didn't like ultium when I fed it to her....So I put her on the SC. |
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Veteran
Posts: 289
Location: Northeast SD | Will be checking with our vet before we give him anything, of course! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Bumping this up. I bumped up this old thread for Bouffie that was looking for some help for her horse, So this is a older thread.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2021-06-09 9:33 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1246
| What test did you have to check for PSSM |
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